The original Ranger Splash welcomed additional color options for the 1995 model year, and our offered Maverick Splash sports a crisp shade of purplish blue inspired by the Sapphire Metallic paint code of the original Ranger Splash. Rather than the five-spoke steel rims or deep cast aluminum rims found on the original Splash, we’ve added a set of five-spoke rims from the Maverick’s SUV, the Bronco Sport. The bold, contrasting graphics are a throwback to the wavy side stripes of the original Splash. In a nod to the exterior body color elements, the bar covering the grille of the Maverick is also body color.

We considered doing a virtual surgery on the bed to make it a Flareside, but unlike the old Frame Body Ranger, the new Maverick features unibody construction. This means that significant engineering (and factory retooling) would be required to stamp a new body – something Ford, even if it revived the Splash as a trim, almost certainly wouldn’t do.

And while the Ford Ranger Splash could only hope to look sporty (although, to be fair, it had a slightly lowered and readjusted suspension setup), our theoretical Maverick Splash, with its “EcoBoost” four-cylinder engine. 2.0-liter turbocharged engine available, is likely to combine its dynamic looks with formidable performance. While we doubt Ford would add horsepower to the Splash’s stable over that of the regular Maverick EcoBoost, it would likely fit the colorful Maverick model with a slightly sportier suspension setup (well, that’s what we imagine. ).

The Maverick already looks pretty good in bolder colors, such as Cyber ​​Orange and Velocity Blue. Bringing back heritage colors, such as the fun purplish blue featured on our imagined Maverick Splash, as well as the reds and yellows more typically associated with the original Ranger Splash, could be a good way for Ford to bring an extra touch of street appeal to its new compact pick-up.